When Chaberton enters a new market, our first conversations are about people.
Chaberton’s human-centered approach to community engagement is built on the straightforward belief that trust can’t be manufactured on a permitting timeline. It has to exist before a project does. And the only way to build it is to show up early and often, long before we ask for anything.
“We spend a lot of time working with neighbors, landowners, elected officials, and other stakeholders early in the process,” says Chaberton CEO Stefano Ratti. “We know we won’t get anywhere unless those conversations are meaningful and productive for all involved.”
Getting to Know New Markets
As Chaberton has expanded into new markets such as Illinois, Virginia and Massachusetts, that engagement philosophy has been tested in practice. Every community is different, and part of showing up early is learning what makes each one tick. Chaberton has team members in both states, and our engagement specialists as well as our development managers have been meeting with local authorities, landowners, neighbors and more well before any project reached the point of needing approvals.
At Chaberton, we genuinely want to hear what the community is thinking. Understanding what a community values, what it’s concerned about, and what it needs from a developer makes it possible to design projects that work for everyone.
“Leaning into early market entry is particularly important because focusing on relationships prior to working on projects heightens our ability to be creative,” says Amee Bearne, Chaberton’s senior development manager for community impact.
Leaning on Creativity
That creativity—one of Chaberton’s core values—shows up in specific ways.
In Peoria County in Illinois, early neighbor visits surfaced a community concern about a public gravel road leading to Chaberton’s potential project site. Because the road already posed maintenance challenges, the construction traffic was seen as a threat. Chaberton responded in two ways. First, the team updated the site design so that vehicles accessing the site would only need to use half as much of the road as in the original site plan. Chaberton also agreed to post a bond that would help cover any needed road repairs. This work to mitigate construction impacts is an important part of Chaberton’s win-win-win philosophy, and we put both action and funding behind our words.
Importantly, the community concern was treated as a conversation point and a design input. By taking action on it, the project advanced with community dialogue intact. The issue shaped the project’s commitments even before permits were secured or a shovel was in the ground.
“It’s important that we can come in and show folks early on that we will be stewards of their community, that we will be investors in the community,” Bearne said.
Support Beyond Community Energy
That investment takes formal shape through Chaberton Cares, Chaberton’s community benefit program. For every project Chaberton develops, $5,000 per megawatt of capacity is donated to local nonprofits, schools, and community organizations in the project area. A portion of these contributions are made in alignment with the project’s very first community meeting, early in the development process (sometimes years before a project is energized).
In Maryland, Delaware, Illinois and Virginia, where Chaberton has advanced projects through to development completion, that’s meant contributions to organizations like the Future Farmers of America, Hero Kids, Habitat for Humanity, Maryland Community Action Partnership, Wildlife Prairie Park, as well as schools, libraries, volunteer fire departments and more.
“We engage communities even before anyone is expecting it,” Ratti says. “Engaging with people early on is something the entire industry could do better.”
Chaberton’s community engagement model produces better projects, stronger relationships and outcomes that work for landowners, neighbors, communities and Chaberton alike.
The goal every single time is a genuine win for everyone at the table.
Interested in partnering with Chaberton? Write us at communityimpact@chaberton.com.
About Chaberton Energy
Chaberton Energy is a public benefit corporation developing community-scale energy projects, with a focus on distributed solar and battery energy storage. A national developer with roots in the communities it serves, Chaberton is a two-time Inc. 5000 awardee, ranking in 2025 as the No. 53 fastest-growing private company in America and the No. 2 energy company on the list. With a commitment to creativity, excellence, and humanity, Chaberton’s team develops distributed solar and battery energy storage projects that improve grid reliability and resilience while lowering electricity costs for community members and businesses.
Media Contact
Lia Morrison
lia.morrison@chaberton.com
412-573-9095
